A game of Morra

Maybe you know the situation: You are traveling and after a while the kids become impatient and whiny because the are bored. The tablet is out of power, there is no screen, the cards are hidden in your luggage, the coloured pencils are becoming boring. To entertain them you try something new (or ancient): you could suggest a game of Morra. The only supply you need for Morra are your fingers.

What is Morra?

Morra is a simple but fun hand game which was very popular in the Mediterranean, and especially in Italy. It dates back thousands of years and is still played to this day. The earliest documentation of this kind of game goes back to ancient Egypt. There is evidence that it was played in ancient Greece (where it was called artiasmos) as well as in ancient Rome as ludere par impar (= game of odd and even) or, in a different variant, micare digitis (=to flash with two fingers). It was especially popular in Rome. You might think now that it is a children’s game but it is not.

In Rome it was so popular that it was used to settle disputes and the Romans even created a proverb that existed to describe an honest man: dignus est quicum in tenebris mices (=he is a worthy man with whom you could play micatio in the dark). The first written account is from 1324 where the game is referred to as ludus morrae.

How to play Morra: simple rules

There are several possibilities to play Morra: the simplest one is the game with two fingers. The two players extend one hand in front of them and count to three. The players hold out either one or two fingers. If the sum of the fingers is even then player “even” wins. If it is an odd number, player “odd” wins. It can also be played with more fingers.

Micatio is a bit more refined: The players do not just hold up their hands but it all depends on speed: they have to guess how many fingers their opponent will hold up. They then shout out the sum of all fingers.

But be careful: The game can turn into a heated argument and there are accounts of brawls and knife fights over games of Morra. In 1931 fascist Italy it became illegal to play Morra because it was used for gambling or as drinking game.